Tired Tigers triumph

STOCKTON - Kendall Rodriguez was near her best while still a bit weary Thursday night.

Jagdip Dhillon

STOCKTON - Kendall Rodriguez was near her best while still a bit weary Thursday night.

The senior captain of the Pacific women's basketball team scored a game-high 18 points as the Tigers handled Hawaii 71-61 before 461 at Spanos Center.

Pacific (13-3, 3-1 Big West Conference) bounced back from a triple-overtime 96-95 loss at Cal Poly on Saturday on the strength of one run and good second-half defense. The Tigers ripped off a 20-2 run in the first half and the Rainbow Wahine (7-9 3-2) chased them fruitlessly for the rest of the way, shooting 29.4 percent from the field after halftime.

The Tigers, now 8-0 at home, moved ahead of Hawaii into a three-way tie for second place, trailing Cal State Northridge (10-6, 4-1) by percentage points. The Matadors visit Pacific on Saturday.

Rodriguez played a career-high 53 minutes at Cal Poly and said her legs had felt heavy all week, but she showed no ill effects on the floor, helping guide the Tigers in a game where fellow starters Erica McKenzie (4 of 13), Ashley Wakefield (2 of 7) and Gena Johnson (3 of 8) had tough shooting nights and combined for 11 turnovers.

"It's nice we have five starters that can go off," Rodriguez said. "Hawaii was playing a sagging defense to prevent shots from Gena (Johnson) and Ashley Wakefield, and it left us open outside and we were able to knock them down."

Pacific coach Lynne Roberts credited her team's defense, which forced 27 turnovers, including 21 in the first half that led to 23 points.

"Our pressing enables us to get away with mistakes we make in other places," Roberts said. "It was why we were able to extend the lead. I still wish we could finish the game better."

Hawaii closed within 68-62 with the ball in the final minute, but Tigers backup guard Kristina Johnson made her free throws to ice the game.

"You have to focus on the little things with a big lead," McKenzie said. "We started taking some rushed shots and they got back in it."

Pacific center Kendall Kenyon held her own against Hawaii's leading scorer Kamilah Martin, who had 18 points, but on 6-of-14 shooting. Kenyon, a St. Mary's product, had 12 points, six rebounds and four blocks before fouling out in 28 minutes.